Playing minor league baseball in Brooklyn – calling KeySpan Park and Coney Island home – is unlike any other bus league experience in the game.

While others play among the cornstalks and haystacks of the midwest, Cyclones players are given the unique experience of playing in the biggest city in the country, in front of sold-out crowds every night.

But the thought on the Class-A level Cyclones is that you do it for one year and move up in the Mets’ organization the next.

From last year’s inaugural Cyclones roster, nine players remain – akin to being left back in elementary school, to some – and for them the sights and salty sea air of Coney Island are nothing new.

Outfielder Noel Devarez opened a lot of eyes last season, batting .250 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs, but he is around again for a second tour with the Cyclones. In a game last year at KeySpan against New Jersey, Devarez belted three tape-measure home runs that cleared the roller-coaster scoreboard in left field.

“That was fun,” said Devarez when reminded of that night before he took batting practice yesterday.

The right-handed power hitter became an instant folk hero swatting his way through the New York-Penn League with a swing compared to that of his hero, Manny Ramirez. In the cage last night, he showed some of that raw power when he blasted the assortment of ads on the outfield fence with line drives.

He nailed the P.C. Richard sign in left, the Peggy O’Neill’s ad in left-center, and then roped a home run over the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall, a 450-foot drive.

“I feel confident this season with Howard Johnson as manager,” Devarez said through an interpreter. “Playing here is a lot of fun. I just have to keep working hard.”

There is more familiarity this season for Devarez, who speaks little English. His batting coach last year, former 30-30 slugger Johnson, is now the manager. There are some familiar faces on the roster, like third baseman Edgar Rodriguez, and a feeling that the Cyclones are better than last year and can become NYPL champions (they were co-champs last year).

“I like the team and the players we brought in,” Devarez said.

In Brooklyn’s first game last week in Staten Island, Devarez hit his first homer of the 2002 season. With the lone jack, he sits atop the league in home runs already, batting .368 going into last night’s home game against the Aberdeen IronBirds, an affiliate of the Orioles.

Devarez, a 6-footer from San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, batted fifth last night, playing for the first time in two games. With University of Florida offensive line recruit Kevin Deaton on the mound for the Cyclones, Devarez was looking to again light up KeySpan Park with some more of his long ball magic.

“It all depends, if I’m not doing well then I’ll stay here and work,” Devarez said. “If I do well, then I’ll get moved up.”